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A battle against adversity: Dragon Racing

In a season with more downs than ups, Faraday Future Dragon Racing had a season to forget after two successful years in the sport.

The American team only scored 33 points over the course of season three and finished eighth in the constructor’s championship.

We have taken a look back at Dragon Racing’s season, as the team prepares to work with Faraday future more closely for season four.

Hong Kong

After a promising pre-season. The Amercian team arrived at Hong Kong feeling fairly optimistic about their chances in season three.

That promise looked to prevail in qualifying, as Frenchman Loic Duval qualified 6th, while Jerome D’ Ambrosio would start the race from a disappointing P18.

However, the Belgian was able to recover during the race and finished in P7. Duval struggled in the race after losing out in the safety car period finished in P14.

Marrakesh

Marrakesh was a disaster for Dragon Racing as Duval and D’Ambrosio started the race from P19 and P17, which meant both drivers had to fight hard to make it to the point-scoring positions.

Duval was able to set the fastest lap, scoring his first point of the season, while D’Ambrosio could only recover to finish in P13.

Buenos Aires

In contrast to Marrakesh, Buenos Aires was a great race for the team. Duval was able to finish in sixth place, while D’Ambrosio crossed the line in 8th place.

However, the two drivers fought hard on track throughout the race with each other which didn’t bite them in Argentina, but it would hit the team harder later in the season.

Mexico City

The Hermanos Rodríguez circuit was the scene of the team’s second ever victory in season two. However, season three was a complete opposite.

D’Ambrosio who won in Mexico 12 months earlier, started the race from the back of the grid. However, the American team took advantage of a safety car period and pitted D’Ambrosio early, which promoted him to second place.

D’Ambrosio fought off the competition for so long, but he ran out of usable energy in the last lap and dropped from third to 13th, as Duval retired from the race.

Monaco

Monaco was another disaster for the team, as both cars started from the back of the grid. The team knew it would be a tough race, as the narrow streets of the Principality are not the most suitable place to overtake.

Neither driver was able to finish the race, with Duval retiring due to a brake problem, and D’Ambrosio with a powertrain issue.

Paris

With Duval racing in DTM, Britain’s Mike Conway was drafted in as a substitute. The Toyota WEC and former Venturi driver started from P10, while D’Ambrosio started from P12. The Belgian had yet another retirement, on lap 35; and Conway finished in P14.

However, D’Ambrosio suffered yet another retirement on lap 35; and Conway was unable to stay in the points and dropped to P14.

Berlin

As the sport entered the first of three doubleheaders, the American team were looking kick start their season after a difficult season so far.

Both Duval and D’Ambrosio finished the first race outside of the points. The second race was also challenging for the American squad, qualifying in P11 (Duval) and P12 (D’Ambrosio).

However, the weekend ended point-less as Duval retired and D’ambrosio finished in 13th, which capped off a frustrating weekend in the German capital.

New York

The team’s home race showed signs of promise, as D’Ambrosio was able to put the car into Super Pole. However, the Belgian had to retire on lap 5, but Duval was able to come home in fifth place, scoring 10 points. Ahead of the second round,

The second race in New York was not as strong as the first, as D’Ambrosio qualified in P14 and Duval in P19. The two driver’s got into an immense battle with D’Ambrosio coming out on top and finishing in P10 and scoring a point.

Montreal

The final two races of the season in Montreal were key for Dragon Racing in their quest to stay ahead of Ms Amlin Andretti.

The first race saw D’Ambrosio qualify P20 and Duval P11. D’Ambrosio was able to climb up to finish in P11, while his teammate would retire. Although, Duval was able to set the fastest lap and scoring a point.

In the last race of Season 3, Duval started in P13 and D’Ambrosio in P11. Duval failed to finish the race after crashing out on lap 34. However, D’Ambrosio scored two points for finishing in P9.

Conclusion

Overall, it was a disappointing season for Dragon Racing. The only silver lining is that Faraday future will have a greater impact on the team’s powertrain for season four, which may see them rise up the field again.

However, with Faraday Future in financial trouble, it seems. It could be possible that the manufacturer may walk away from the sport leaving the American team to find a new powertrain supplier.